Wednesday, January 30, 2008

GOP Debate Open Thread

How will McCain's recent surge of momentum play out in the debate tonight? Will the other candidates collectively go after him? Use this thread to add your comments and reactions. More as the debate progresses.
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jgoebel said...

I think one of the most revealing (and heated) exchanges of the debate came when McCain and Romney sparred over whether Romney had ever supported a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. After McCain loosely quoted Romney several times in attempts to prove that he had, Anderson Cooper read the actual quote, which essentially proved that Romney was truthful in saying he had never supported a timetable for withdrawal.

Here is Romney’s quote in question as read by Cooper (thanks to my DVR): “Well, there’s no question that the president and Prime Minister al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about, but those shouldn’t be for public pronouncement. You don’t want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you’re going to be gone.”

In referencing this quote, McCain’s verbal contortions with the “lie in the weeds” phrase were sometimes borderline nonsensical. I was taken aback by the way McCain hammered this weak argument even after Cooper read the full quote; did he actually believe his own accusation or was his goal all along merely to fan uncertainty, however unwarranted, about Romney’s position on the issue?

Ultimately, it appeared to me that the “straight talker” had been busted distorting a quote to score points. That, or he actually doesn’t understand that quote, which is worrisome since it is pretty straightforward; it seems reasonable to have private timetables for measuring progress without a public date for withdrawal.

Also, McCain’s reputation for ethical fortitude was called into question by Romney, who pointed out the sneaky timing of McCain voicing his dubious criticism right before the Florida vote when Romney had little time to clarify his words.

In my opinion, this squabble left McCain looking either irrational or disingenuous and Romney looking quite patient, even sympathetic, for tolerating such inanity. The crowd applauded Romney when he asked McCain sarcastically how he is such an expert on Romney’s positions. With McCain's recent momentum, I don't think it was necessary to pursue this kind of shaky charge against Romney so relentlessly.

January 31, 2008 at 2:50 AM

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